title: Motor Function in MPTP-Treated Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis).
abstract: The tree shrew, a new experimental animal model, has been used to study a variety of diseases, especially diseases of the nervous system. 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is the gold standard for toxin-based animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) because MPTP treatment replicates almost all of the pathological hallmarks of PD. Therefore, in this study, the effects of MPTP on the motor function of the tree shrew were examined. After five daily injections of a 3 mg/kg dose of MPTP, the motor function of MPTP-injected tree shrews decreased significantly, and the classic Parkinsonian symptoms of action and resting tremor, bradykinesia, posture abnormalities, and gait instability were observed in most MPTP-injected tree shrews. HPLC results also showed significantly reduced striatal dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels in tree shrews after MPTP injection. Increased oxidative stress levels are usually considered to be the cause of dopaminergic neuron depletion in the presence of MPTP and were observed in the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated tree shrews, as indicated by a significant reduction in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity and increased levels of malondialdehyde. In addition, elevated α-synuclein mRNA levels in the midbrain of MPTP-treated tree shrews were observed. Furthermore, MPTP-treated tree shrews showed the classic Parkinsonian symptoms at a lower MPTP dosage compared with other animal models. Thus, the MPTP-treated tree shrew may be a potential animal model for studying the pathogenesis of PD.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research & Development on Severe Infectious Diseases, No. 935, Jiaoling Road, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, China, mklpumc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kai-Li
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jia-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhang-Qiong
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: De-Xuan
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Qin-Fang
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Pin-Fen
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Xing-Xiao
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jie-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dai